Govt to set up juvenile homes in every district: Zulfkar

Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Oct 2: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Information, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali today said that the Government will soon establish juvenile homes in each district of the State to effectively rehabilitate the children detained for anti-social activities.
The Minister said this while addressing the valedictory function of child protection campaign organized by National Development Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organiza-tion, for protection of children and to sensitize the participants about the juvenile justice and child protection.
Deliberating on the importance of Juvenile Justice System, Zulfkar highlighted various issues that children had to confront on day to day basis and how the turmoil has exasperated the already grim situation regarding better development of children.
Reflecting on various problems that children face, not only within the protective confines of their homes but also at schools, workplaces etc, the Minister asserted that unfavourable circumstance often end up making children vulnerable to various misdoings and crimes.
He said the children who witness and suffer abuse, domestic violence, broken families in their early years of life are more likely to grow with fragile and often disturbing and anti-social personal traits, adding that many a time children who lack primary support system end up working in unorganized sectors providing cheap labour, making them vulnerable to abuse.
The Minister also deliberated on how the absence of proper and effective institutional system of guidance often leads children to drug abuse and crimes. He further affirmed that law and legislation alone can’t help us to improve the situation. “Change can only be envisaged with our commitment towards ensuring overall welfare of children,” he said.
He informed the gathering that the Government will soon establish juvenile homes in each district of the State to expedite protection, rehabilitation and restoration of juveniles into the mainstream society.
MLA Qammar Chowdhary and District Development Commissioner, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary also spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Zulfkar directed the Executive Engineer PHE to conduct a detailed survey of uncovered villages for providing water to these villages on priority basis.
The Minister was reviewing the status and progress of various water supply schemes being developed in Darhal Assembly segment.
Directing the department to expedite the works and improve pace of development, the Minister directed the officers for efforts to take proactive measures to achieve the targets and conduct need assessment of every village.
The Minister also inaugurated working Standard Laboratory along with Legal Metrology Office Building at Akhnoor.
MLA Akhnoor Rajeev Sharma was also present on the occasion.